Tension regulating device



Nov. 3, 1931. P. M. G-TOU 1,830,45Q

TENS ION REGULATING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1929 FjyJ.

Fig.2

[77, dam/an ala-mg Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIERRE MARIE GABRTEL TOULON, F PUTEAUX, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO ETABLISSE- MENTS RAGONOT, OF MALAKOFF, FRANCE TENSION REGULATING DEVICE Application filed August 8, 1929, Serial No. 384,458, and in France August 11, 1928.

The present invention relates to devices assuring the automatic and rapid regulating of the tension of a circuit, fed by alternating current, and chiefly for maintaining a constant tension.

Tubes of the rarefied gas type are already in use for regulating the difference of potential at the terminals of a line, and for rendering it independent of the load. In the known :1 arrangement, a resistance is mounted in series with the feeding line, and the regulating tube is connected in parallel on the terminals of the work circuit and consists for example of a luminous tube containing a mixture of argon and neon.

If the load on the work circuit is reduced for any reason, the tension will increase by only a few volts at the ends of the neon tube, since the current in the tube increases very rapidly from an almost zero value to a con siderable value.

' This regulating method has been used with success in all cases in which the ower to be regulated has but a small value, or instance when it is desiredto obtain an exact regulation with high powers.

, The present invention relates to new methods for the use of rarefied gas tubes, thus obtaining an accurate regulation even for considerable currents.

The invention consists in the use of the neon tube, not as heretofore as a simple valve in parallel with the feeding circuit, but it is comprised in a balanced arrangement so disposed that the additional power due to a momentary excess of tension at the ends of the work circuit will be at once dissipated in the rarefied gas tube and hence there will be no increase of tensionatthe ends of the work circuit. The translation of the power between the input circuit and the said rarefied gas tube is preferably effected by a transformer which is suitably connected and which has the proper ratio of transformation.

The figures accompanying the description, which are given by way of example, show an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 1 shdws by comparison one of the new arrangements according to the invention.

Fig. 2. is the curve of the difference of to limit thetension at the end of the Workin device; 8 represents the line with variab e tension (with terminals A B) which is to be regulated; at 12 (terminals B D) is the work circuit whose resistance may vary without producing the least variation of tension. At 9 is a permanent resistance, and at 10 the primary of-an auto-transformer 11.

The neon tubes are preferably in series in order that they may be equally loaded, and are disposed at 13, at the ends of the autotransformer.

According to the ratio between the turns of the transformer. 10 and 11, and according to the value of the resistance 9, the difference of potential at the ends of 12 may vary in the same direction as 8, or in the contrary direction, or it may on the other hand be quite independent. Otherwise stated. a partial compensation, an over compensation, or an exact compensation of the variations of tension may be provided.

The operation is shown in Fig. 2 which represents the fall of potential in the different parts. The potentials are represented by the abscissae, and the potential of the point-C is taken as the zero potential. The total Value of the current employed by the apparatus is represented by the ordinates.

lVhen the voltage increases at the ends of the feeding circuit, the current increases both in the resistance and in the neon tube and the so generated drops in potential are not the same; the form of the mounting has for its effect to give between two points aeonstant difference of potential, as it shall be easily understood by the following explanation.

The relation between the current and the fall of tension in the purely ohmic resistance 9 is represented by a straight line 0 M; the fall of potential in the primary winding 10 of the said transformer has obviously the" contrary sign to the fall of potential in 9; the said fall in 10 varies substantially with the fall of potential in the secondary winding comprising 10 and 11, but by virtue of the heavy current in the neon tube, the difference of potential at the ends of the secondary 1011 will followa special law analogous to that of a neon tube, so that the potential at A will be represented by a curve.

The potential at D has the contrary sign to the one at A, and the values of these two potentials will have a constant ratio which depends solely upon the number of turns of the windings of the transformer, and hence the potential at D is represented by a curve such as N. The dilference of potential at the ends of the work circuit 12, which is the difference between the potentials at B and D, will be herein represented by the difference between the abscissae of two corresponding points of the curve N and of the straight line 0 M. It is observed that for the small potentials, this difference will be P Q}, and it increases with the voltage at PQ, there the tangent to N being parallel to O M; this difi'erence does not vary appreciably, and in the part P" Q, on the contrary it will decrease when the voltage rises. To obtain a constant voltage at the terminals of 12, the apparatus is so disposed as to operate on the part P Q.

The following numerical examples repre-. sent two cases obtained with the different values of the resistance 9 (Fig. 1).

Assuming that the effective value of the alternating tension A B varies between 100 and 200 volts, it is noted that for a certain value of 9 and for a certain relation between 10 and 11, AG will vary between and volts, CB between 20 and 110 volts, CD between 130 and 146 volts and the tension of the work circuit varies between 110 and 36 volts.

The increase of the feeding tension thus causes a decrease of the working tension. This is the case of under compensation.

figurles which are given solely by way of exam e.

t is further obvious that the said arrangement by which power can be regulated, can be employed not only to regulate tension, but can also be used with any mechanical device whose motion may result from the transformation of the regulated electric energy corresponding to the same.

The applications of the regulated tension cover an extensive field, for instance an illuminant of constant intensity, valves with several electrodes, motors, and the like.

What I claim is:

A tension regulating device for alternating currents consisting of an 'autotransformer, at least one neon tube, means to connect said neon tube in parallel with said autotransformer, means to connect the first terminal of said auto-transformer to the first terminal of the supply circuit, a work-circuit, means to connect the first terminal of said work circuit to the second terminal of the autotransformer, means to connect the second terminal of the work circuit to the second terminal of the supply circuit, an ohmic resistance, means to insert said ohmic resistance between the second terminal of the work circuit and a point of the autotransformer winding, so

chosen that the difference of potential be tween the second terminal of the'supply and the second terminal of the auto-transformer remains substantially the same in the limits of working.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

' PIERRE MARIE GABRIEL TOULON.

By using a such smaller value for the resistance CB, the following conditions /Will prevail for a variation of AB between 110 and 200 volts.

AC varies between 90 and 150 volts OD varies between 120 and 200 volts BD varies between 110 and 150 volts.

This is the case of over-compensation.-

It is observed that for a certain value of the reslstance, a practically constant tension can be obtained at the ends of the working apparatus 12.

The question obviously relates to the vectorial difference of tensions, and to obtain the exact values of the tensions it is necessary to takeaccount of the phase differences, but it has been observed that for moderate frequencies, such phase differences are very small.

It is evident on the other hand that the I load 12 modifies to some extent the preceding 

